Ahead of India visit, Pompeo says ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’
Ahead of the India visit and with an eye on taking the bilateral relations between India and United States (U.S.) to the next level, the U.S. Secretary of State – Mike Pompeo has expressed faith in the Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi, by saying “Modi hai to mumkin hai” (Modi makes it possible).
Mike Pompeo was addressing the delegates at India Ideas Summit of the US-India Business Council when he used the Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) much talked about election slogan.
Mike Pompeo would be travelling to India between June 24-26, 2019. This will be Pompeo’s second visit to India as the U.S. Secretary of State. Apart from India, Pompeo would also be travelling to Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea from June 24 to 30, 2019. His 4-nation tour is aimed at further strengthening the U.S. alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.
Besides, Pompeo also said that Modi along with U.S. President – Donald Trump have a unique opportunity to make trade ties between India and U.S. more progressive.
Speaking at the Summit, Pompeo said, “As Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said in his latest campaign, ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai,” or ‘Modi makes it possible”, I am looking forward to explore what’s possible between the US and India.”
He further added, “I am very much looking forward to this trip to New Delhi later this month, and meeting PM Modi, and his new counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.”
Pompeo emphasised the fact that under the leadership of Donald Trump, U.S. took a firm stand against Pakistan, especially when Pakistan based terror group, Jaish-E- Mohammad (JeM) carried out a heinous terror attack, killing more than 40 Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) personnel in Pulwama, India.
Talking about India and its challenges, he said, “We respect India as a sovereign power, with its own unique politics and strategic challenges. We realise it’s different to deal with the likes of China or Pakistan from across an ocean than across a border.”
In a complaining mode, he spoke about new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regulations in India which impacted the business of U.S. firms. As per the new FDI rules which came into effect from February 1, 2019, leading e-commerce giants such as Amazon India and Walmart-owned Flipkart are not allowed to sell products from vendors in which they hold an equity. The Government also prohibited e-retailers from getting into exclusive sale agreement.
Considering the bigger picture and in order to strike a chord with India, Pompeo even said that both U.S. and India share a common philosophy of democracy, freedom, and a belief in the ingenuity of the human spirit.
U.S. has already approved the sale of 24 multi-role MH – 60 Romeo Seahawk maritime helicopters to India at a cost of U.S.$ 2.6 billion. Manufactured by Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky, these helicopters can hunt submarines, knock out ships and conduct search-and-rescue operations. They can operate from frigates, destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the world’s most advanced earth-observation satellite and India’s second lunar mission. The U.S. is keen on pushing for the free flow of data across borders, not just to help American companies but to protect data and ensure consumer privacy. Pompeo also claimed that U.S. is willing to help India in establishing 5G network.
